A warning to home buyers in South Africa

• The Supreme Court of Appeal is expected to rule on whether a buyer's deposit is safe when paid into a trust account.
• The case is a focus on the judgment of the Constitutional Court in Stopforth v Royal Anthem, 2015, which found that payment into the attorney's trust account ought to be regarded as a payment to the seller.
• If the Supreme Court of Appeal supports the argument, it will have catastrophic consequences for buyers and the property transfer system in South Africa.